G-A (2-4) is coming off a difficult 41-19 loss at West Perry, where the Blue Devils struggled to contain the Mustang receivers while fumbling the ball six times, dropping to 1-2 in the division.

Last Friday's performance was a stark contrast to the week prior, when G-A put together arguably its best outing of the season in a 20-13 victory over Northern York in Week 5.

Undoubtedly, the Blue Devils will need to rekindle a similar effort to the one put forward against the Polar Bears if they intend to get back on track against the Greyhounds.

The teams are essentially mirror images, boasting smash-mouth identities on both sides of the ball.

Each wants to establish a running game, looking to control the tempo and time of possession while attempting to wear down the opponent.

Defensively, it's all about being physical, as many may recall from the 2011 meeting in the District 3 playoffs, which Shippensburg won by a score of 10-7.

The Greyhound offense revolves around stud ball carrier William Burt, who rushed for 212 yards and three touchdowns in Ship's 36-17 over G-A last season.

The Blue Devils have utilized a committee approach in the backfield, with Ashtin Byers, David Woody, Jackson Hall, Bailey Parker and Nathaniel Monn sharing the workload.

Woody missed last week's game with an injury, but is expected to return Friday night. Parker, who handled G-A's first seven carries against West Perry, suffered a leg injury and is likely to miss the remainder of the season.

With personnel getting thin, the Blue Devils threw Matt Oberholzer and James Hines into the mix, with Oberholzer racking up a team-high 82 yards against the Mustangs.

Parker also led the team in receptions, putting a greater emphasis on wideouts Elijah Webster and Sam Sprague.

On defense, G-A will certainly be looking for a bounce-back outing, especially in the secondary which was shredded for 276 yards by West Perry quarterback Chris Lehman.

Up front, Bobby Rider anchors the defensive line, with the 6-5 junior coming off a three-sack performance a week ago. Kristian Sheeley joins Oberholzer as standouts in the middle, while Brae Peck has game-changing potential off the edge.

Page 2 of 2 - Fellow defensive end Jared Starliper is out for the year with a broken thumb, dealing a big blow to the Blue Devils' ability to bring pressure.

Dalton Webster and Jensen Stoner are expected to split time in Starliper's absence.

Considering the circumstances, G-A will have to rely on the adage of 'next man up', needing all parties to return to form Friday night if an upset is in the making.